Daily Photo 2022: Apr. 01-15
Objects are certainly valued in modern North American culture, but they aren't always prized, nor even always appreciated. The consumer cycle tells us that everything is disposable. It can be worth taking a close look at things, though. Even in our highly-automated world, a lot of Human effort goes into even the simplest everyday item.
2022 April 01
You may have rightly guessed from the opening paragraph that this entry is mostly macros of stuff. The first photo, though, takes a much larger scale. My office went to Halifax Thunderbirds game. The lacrosse game was high-energy and lots of fun; the chance to hang out with my colleagues was even better. Before the match we went out to eat, and afterwards a gang of us went for late-night tea and desserts at a suave bar.
Palm PVG 100: f2, 1/120 sec, ISO 1600
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 08
I'm skipping ahead a week with my next photo. Like the Thunderbirds one, it is not a macro, and it also has to do with my work. Usually, my day is spent at the office. On the eighth, however, I went on a site visit. This is the future location of one of Halifax's largest apartment complexes. It will feature the first building in the Maritimes that is over 100m tall.
Olympus E-PL9, 12-200mm telephoto lens
f9, 1250 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 02
What better way to start our detailed look than with a pair of glasses? I'm constantly impressed by how much artistic endeavour is put into such small canvasses as the arms of spectacles. Mine have a wide, brown strip of metal at the temples with a cutout that is partially filled with a silver cylinder.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 20 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 03
This is not my first closeup of a binder clip. They are a pretty nifty piece of engineering. I like how their curls serve a function, but are glad to look good as they do it.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 13 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 04
This one might be difficult to identify at first glance. It's the haft of a fork. The leaflike patterns are really, really small. Just like with the glasses, someone found a home for some personality in what could have been a very utilitarian object.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 13 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 11
Here's another photo out of chronological sequence. It's worth noting that Humans aren't the only ones in the manufacturing game. This shell is the work of a snail. In addition to having biologically protective uses, a shell brings cred to animals among humans. Consider your feelings toward slugs, and those toward snails.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 1/30 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 09
I will get back to regular date-order shortly, I promise! Since we're on the topic of animal inventiveness, I'm putting this picture next. It's a fabulous feather I came across at the Halifax Public Gardens. The place is frequented by ducks, so it may well have come from one of those. Possibly, though, it belonged to a hawk, a goose. or a rather lost fowlbird. On the same day that I found this feather I found a great many crocuses. To see those, take a look at this video.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 20 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 05
I have my computer set up in my apartment's storage room, which is also home to my climbing equipment. So, when casting my eyes about for nicely-crafted items, I often noticed various bits of gear. This part of a carabiner isn't directing me to dance, but rather providing instructions on how to unlock the clasp. Then again, perhaps it's encouraging both?
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 13 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 06
This dense and strong webbing is part of my climbing harness. Underneath the layer of white threads there is a layer of red ones. Once the reds begin to show, I'll know it's time to get a new harness. Having the early warning is certainly preferable to having a break while hanging off of a wall. Sometimes, good design can be life-saving!
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 13 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 07
Can you spot the difference between these two carabiners? One is a proper piece of climbing tack; the other is suitable only for keeping keys on a belt loop. I find it interesting how one basic design can find many uses in various related forms.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 1/60 sec, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 10
This is a less-essential piece of climbing equipment than a harness or a carabiner. It's from a ballcap from my climbing gym, East Peak Indoor Climbing. I typically eschew clothing with logos, but I am content to rep a local business. This label is inside the hat. On the outside, above the brim is the "A" mountain with a stylized thumbs-up in it.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 5 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 12
One of my goals as a climber is to eventually climb outside. For my current indoor climbing I do not need carabiners, aside from the one for my Grigri (it is necessary for climbing with a partner). For indoor stuff, I also don't need a rope of my own (the gym supplies them). But, thanks to a Spring sale, this rope was nearly a third off, so I picked it up. I look forward to trying it out during the Summer.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 8 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 13
Here's a (slightly) wider view of the rope. The whole thing is 60m meters long. Rope is one of the many everyday items that looks very simple, but is the result of an impressive amount of engineering and effort. This particular rope has an added layer; it is composed of "waste" fibres from the company's other stock. The result is an improvement in plant efficiency, and ropes that have a unique patterning. I'm hoping it will stand out well against the rock.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f2.8, 1/400 sec, ISO 1600
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 14
This is a very close look at some blue tape. It's no different than regular surgical tape, but features a lovely colour.Its typical use case is for climbers to cover finger splits, or to make a palmless "glove" to protect the back of the hands when climbing up cracks. My implementation is rather different: Reinforcing the adhesives that hold my blood glucose sensor in place.
Olympus E-PL9, 60mm macro lens
f22, 8 secs, ISO 800
IrfanView: Crop, Colour
2022 April 15
This year, Easter is on April seventeenth, which makes the fifteenth Good Friday. After work on 2022 April 14, I travelled to Antigonish County for an Easter visit. I thought it would be fitting to finish this post on touches of artistry with a snap of this wooden Easter Egg that has been in my family for years.
